News

Minister of Health Jonathan Coleman needs to save babies’ lives by directly funding pepi-pods for at-risk families across the country, the Green Party said today.

Professor Ed Mitchell, a world-renowned infant death researcher from the University of Auckland, is meeting the Minister today to request $1.5 million to fund pepi-pods to stop Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI). Pepi-pods are a plastic alternative to wahakura, which are woven baskets that give babies a safe space to sleep in their parents’ bed.

The Government must support the use of wahakura and pepi-pods to reduce the rate of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI), particularly for Māori babies who are eight times more likely to die in infancy, the Green Party said today.

The NZ Herald reported today that the Government has ignored advice from coroners that wahakura and pepi-pods could reduce the number of children dying from SUDI, and refused to fund their use.

Wahakura are woven baskets that give baby a safe space to sleep in their parents’ bed. Pepi-pods are a plastic alternative.

A report launched today showing that Māori babies make up more than 60 percent of all cot deaths in New Zealand is another signal that Government agencies are not doing enough to help keep our tamariki safe, the Green Party said today.

Te Puni Kōkiri (TPK) officials were barely consulted over the Governent’s formal analysis of the impact of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement on New Zealand, leaving doubts that the impact on Māori was properly assessed, the Green Party says.

Emails released to the Green Party under the Official Information Act show TPK weren’t given enough time to read the agreement, and its written submissions on the National Interest Analysis amounted to three short emails over two days.

Te Ture Whenua Bill must not proceed without broad and properly informed support following the critical report from the Waitangi Tribunal released today, the Green Party said.

“Te Ture Whenua Bill shouldn’t be introduced this month to Parliament until the concerns brought up by the Waitangi Tribunal and wider community are allayed,” Green Party Māori Development spokesperson Marama Davidson said.

“Māori land, and the rules that govern it, are too important to get wrong.

The Green Party launched a petition at Rātana today in support of its Members’ Bill to stop the compulsory acquisition of whenua Māori under the Public Works Act.

“This is a real opportunity to stop any more unfair confiscations of what is left of whenua Māori. The rallying call of Dame Whina Cooper of ‘Not one more acre’ of compulsory Māori land acquisitions can now be put into practice, and the Treaty of Waitangi can be made a stronger part of our nation’s laws,” Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said.

The news that Native Affairs, an award winning show on Māori Television, is to be cut down to half an hour and to a sole presenter is disheartening and a step in the wrong direction, the Green Party said today.

“I have been on this show many, many times, and have enjoyed the robust exchange of viewpoints. People need the space to have these important conversations about the issues that confront our communities,” Green Party Māori Development spokesperson Marama Davidson said today.

“This decision adds fuel to the concerns about the management of Māori Television.